HB0137enr 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0137 Enrolled LRB100 01842 RJF 11847 b

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act is amended by changing Section 25-20 as follows:

(5 ILCS 430/25-20)

Sec. 25-20. Duties of the Legislative Inspector General. In addition to duties otherwise assigned by law, the Legislative Inspector General shall have the following duties:

(1) To receive and investigate allegations of violations of this Act. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (1.5), an An investigation may not be initiated more than one year after the most recent act of the alleged violation or of a series of alleged violations except where there is reasonable cause to believe that fraudulent concealment has occurred. To constitute fraudulent concealment sufficient to toll this limitations period, there must be an affirmative act or representation calculated to prevent discovery of the fact that a violation has occurred. The Legislative Inspector General shall have the discretion to determine the appropriate means of investigation as permitted by law.

(1.5) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Legislative Inspector General, whether appointed by the Legislative Ethics Commission or the General Assembly, may initiate an investigation based on information provided to the Office of the Legislative Inspector General or the Legislative Ethics Commission during the period from December 1, 2014 through November 3, 2017. Any investigation initiated under this paragraph (1.5) must be initiated within one year after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly.

(2) To request information relating to an investigation from any person when the Legislative Inspector General deems that information necessary in conducting an investigation.

(3) To issue subpoenas, with the advance approval of the Commission, to compel the attendance of witnesses for the purposes of testimony and production of documents and other items for inspection and copying and to make service of those subpoenas and subpoenas issued under item (7) of Section 25-15.

(4) To submit reports as required by this Act.

(5) To file pleadings in the name of the Legislative Inspector General with the Legislative Ethics Commission, through the Attorney General, as provided in this Article if the Attorney General finds that reasonable cause exists to believe that a violation has occurred.

(6) To assist and coordinate the ethics officers for State agencies under the jurisdiction of the Legislative Inspector General and to work with those ethics officers.

(7) To participate in or conduct, when appropriate, multi-jurisdictional investigations.

(8) To request, as the Legislative Inspector General deems appropriate, from ethics officers of State agencies under his or her jurisdiction, reports or information on (i) the content of a State agency's ethics training program and (ii) the percentage of new officers and employees who have completed ethics training.

(9) To establish a policy that ensures the appropriate handling and correct recording of all investigations of allegations and to ensure that the policy is accessible via the Internet in order that those seeking to report those allegations are familiar with the process and that the subjects of those allegations are treated fairly.

(Source: P.A. 96-555, eff. 8-18-09.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.